Hundreds of thousands of people are expected at London's biggest gay pride event today.

Organisers of Pride hope the huge numbers of people attending the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park will swell the numbers for the parade.

A spokesman said: "It's going to be the biggest and, hopefully, the best one that's ever happened."

The Pride Parade was to assemble from 11am for a noon start at the southern end of Park Lane.

There the crowd was to be addressed by Live 8 organiser Bob Geldof, actors Sir Ian McKellen and Stephen Fry and Pride chief executive Jason Pollock.

A record 48 floats were then to process towards the Victoria Embankment where the parade was to disperse.

A spokesman said a total of 200,000 are expected to attend the event, with 15,000 of them later going to a rally in Trafalgar Square and 30,000 to 50,000 actually taking part in the march. Among them will be 100 policemen and women from the Gay Police Association - although two forces, Hampshire and Dyfed-Powys, have banned their officers from marching in uniform.